An Ibadan-based businessman, Mr Peter Asa, has petitioned the new Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, over alleged infringement on his fundamental rights by the police. Asa, in his petition, entitled: ‘Save My Soul’, and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Ibadan, said that his rights had been grossly infringed upon. He alleged that some police officers were being used to silence him over a certain property sold to him by a company, UAC, in 2020 for N26 million. Asa, popularly known as King Zion, named a certain man as the brain behind his recent detention for three days at the Iyaganku police station. The businessman said that the inaugural speech of the new police boss, where he pledged never to tolerate any infringement on the fundamental human rights of any member of the public by his officers and men, motivated his distress call.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Enwonwu, who took over from Mr Shina Olukolu, who had been transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Lagos State, assumed duty on June 1. Asa, while alleging that the man in question had sponsored several attacks on him, using security agents, implored the police commissioner to carry out an investigation on the case. “Two officers from Iyaganku, on a recent Thursday afternoon, around 2 pm., at the premises of a bank in Dugbe, arrested and treated me like a common criminal. “I was taken to Iyaganku police station and kept in detention with criminally-minded suspects for three days. “The officers arrested me and said my attention was needed at Iyaganku. “There is no iota of truth in what I was alleged of. They said I was responsible for the fire incident at the said property, which I duly paid for over 18 years ago. “The ownership right on the matter is still in court and I will not want to go there. But as a pastor, I know truth will prevail at the end, as I have faith in God that I will get justice, no matter what,” he said. Asa said that the fire incident happened in broad daylight on April 15 and that he was arrested on May 14, allegedly on a trumped up charge that he was responsible for the inferno. He said that his arrest came after the officials of Oyo State government had fingered a welder working in one of the shops in the complex as the brain behind the inferno.

Australian businessman calls for trust, respect, understanding in relations with China

Trust, respect and understanding are needed for Australia to nurture its relationship with China, an Australian businessman has said.

“What we need to do is to be very calm, be very respectful … There are a lot to understand on both sides of the equation,” Mark Allison, president of Agribusiness Australia, an agricultural producer and exporter, said in a telephone interview with Xinhua.

Allison is also the chief executive officer of Elders, a leading agriculture company in Australia which was started in 1839. Talking about the recent barley tariff friction with China, he noted that the issue should not be politicized.

“The barley issue has been going for 18 months and they (China) have raised legitimate issues with what they believe was the dumping of barley in China, as we have raised 10 times as many issues against China in the same process,” he said.

According to him, about 65 percent of Australia’s agricultural products are exported, with Asia being its key market.

“Clearly the growth of China is significant for us,” he said. “China is the No. 2 economy in the world, and a major trading partner, and we have closest proximity.”

He said that Australia benefited from the trade of wool, nuts and fruits with China. “And China is a growing grain market for us,” he added. “There is a big share of dairy products, and fish products, particularly crayfish, has been increasing.”

Allison spoke highly of the strong economic ties between China and Australia.

“At the agricultural season in Australia, Elders has got very strong support from Chinese factories that were coming out of the COVID-19 shutdowns to ensure that we had products of the Australia farmers. It’s very, very strong positive relationship,” he said.

Victoria is Australia’s first state to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in 2013 to promote trade and economic cooperation among economies and further open up markets in a mutually beneficial manner.

“As chairman of Agribusiness Australia, we issued a report last year on the implications to Australian agriculture of the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Allison. “I see a lot of benefits for Australian agriculture.”

Looking into the future, Allison said he was optimistic.

Noting that he feels deep passion for Australia’s achievements, Allison expressed his respect for what China has achieved. “The achievements (of) lifting Chinese people out of poverty, the health improvement and education improvement are quite amazing for such an important country in the world.”

“The long term view for China and Australia will be positive,” the businessman said.

Businessman bags 3 years imprisonment for N3.5m fraud

Justice Mallong Peter of the Kaduna Federal High Court on Thursday sentenced one Mohammed Isah, a businessman to three years imprisonment without an option of fine for N3.5 million fraud.

The convict was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kaduna zonal office.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, S. H. Sa’ad, had told the court that the convict was first arraigned on Dec. 2, 2017, along with his company, Rabo Construction Company Ltd., on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N3,500, 000 and issuance of dud cheque.

According to Sa’ad, the convict was arrested in 2018 when one Adamu Yusuf reported to the EFCC that the convict deceived him into supply of rods for the execution of a multi-million naira building contract, he claimed to have won.

The prosecution said that after the complainant supplied the rods to him, the convict issued a post-dated cheque, which was returned unpaid.

He further said that investigation by the EFCC revealed that the convict was never awarded any contract, as there was no document to support his claim.

He added that it was further established that the convict sold the rods and diverted the proceeds to his personal use.

The convict had pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and was granted N300, 000 bail.

Sa’ad added that the offence is contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

The convict was, however, sentenced after the prosecution had opened its case by calling two witnesses and tendering nine exhibits.

Police confirm abduction of businessman in Benue

The Police Command in Benue on Sunday confirmed the abduction of Mr Emmanuel Nwankwo, a businessman, from his residence in Makurdi.

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Catherine Anene, told the News Agency of Nigeira in Makurdi that the owner of Emchony Electricals was abducted by unknown gunmen on Saturday night.

Anene said that investigation into the matter was in progress with the view to rescue the victim and arrest the perpetrators.

“I love this career, and deeply love the city and the people here,” Azarnov said.

However, business at his shop in the Sino-Russian friendship community has been partially affected by the restricted movement of people as part of local measures to control the spread of COVID-19.

All the communities in the city have restricted entry and residents are permitted to go out to purchase daily necessities only once every three days.

“But we’ll continue to provide services to the public while taking protective measures,” said Azarnov.

Now the Russian businessman has bought masks, disinfectants and thermometers for his staff and led them to disinfect the shop every day. All the employees are subject to body temperature measurement and registration before starting work.

As of midday Tuesday, Suifenhe had reported a total of 377 confirmed cases imported from overseas. The city has beefed up prevention measures against COVID-19.

At present, the Suifenhe port, a major land checkpoint at the border, has shut down its passenger inspection channel and tightened checks on the freight inspection channel.

Police Command in Abia on Saturday confirmed the arrest of an unnamed police operative for killing one Mr Friday Arunsi, a middle-aged businessman at his Ebem Ohafia community.

The Abia Police Public Relations Officer, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, who confirmed the arrest to News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday, said that police operative who killed the businessman was currently in detention.

Ogbonna said that the Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Ene Okon went to Ebem Ohafia on Saturday with a team to console the family of the deceased.

An eye witness, Sunday Onwuka said the policeman on Friday shot and killed Arunsi at his shop at Ebem, in Ohafia local government area of Abia.

Onwuka said that the late businessman and his uncle, Moses, were offloading their consignment of beverages from a truck at their store at Eni Njoku Street in Ebem when some policemen walked into the shop.

He said that the policemen told Moses and Arunsi to stop offloading their goods from the truck that brought the consignment but Arunsi and his uncle asked them why they should stop.

Onwuka said that instead of giving them a reasonable response, the policemen threatened them and later walked to the police station where they signed for a gun which they allegedly used to kill Arunsi on their return.

He said that in an attempt to save Arunsi’s life, his kinsmen rushed him to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia where he was confirmed dead late on Friday.

Another source, who pleaded anonymity, said when news of Arunsi’s death broke in Ebem on Saturday morning, the youths protested with his corpse on the streets of Ebem Ohafia, after it was returned home.

He said that instead of the police authorities calming the situation, they mobilized the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives to the scene of the protest.

The source said that before the SARS men arrived, the military men were calming the youths down until the SARS operatives shot at them and injured a barber, Okoro Kalu who is now in the hospital.

He said these chain of events involving Arunsi’s death and Kalu’s shooting made the youths to regroup and attacked the Ohafia police station which they broke into and released inmates.

He said that the youths then went and burnt Ebem Customary and Magistrate Courts alongside the police quarters, DPO’s residence and some vehicles in the compound.

NAN reports that Arunsi’s death brings the number of Abia residents killed by security agents since the lockdow began on April 1 to five.

The Prosecution Counsel, Chinedu Agada, told the court that Stella Chike, reported the matter at the Area Command Headquarters, Kubwa, Abuja on Oct. 31 2018.

Okpa alleged that the defendant collected N3 million from the complainant to finance his gold mining project in Nasarawa State, with an agreement to pay back the money with interest within four weeks.

The prosecution alleged that the defendant defaulted and police investigations revealed that he issued four Diamond Bank cheques valued N4, 080, 000 to the complainant which were dishonoured on presentation at the bank.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The defendant however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Defence Counsel, Moses Ugwummadu, prayed the court to admit his client to bail in the most liberal terms.

The Judge, Mr Muhammad Adamu, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N4 million with one reasonable surety who must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.